Mathematics of Far East Asia

1350 BC - 1850 AD

An interactive gallery of the mathematical traditions of East Asia spanning over 3000 years.

Magic Squares 洛书

Earliest reference to the Luo Shu magic square.

Oracle Bones

Earliest evidence of the decimal system used in ancient China.

Pythagorean Theorem 勾股求弦

According to the Zhou Bi Suan Jing, Zhou Gong consulted Shang Gao on astronomical matters. In one conversation, the Pythagorean theorem was mentioned as a way to calculate the length of a gnomon's shadow.